On His Knees by Tabatha Kiss
Chapter 71
Jenna
Two blocks away.
I smile at the text from Drew on my phone. Two blocks away. Factor in a bit of Chicago traffic and it looks like an ETA of less than ten minutes. They’ll definitely use valet parking, so… it might even be five.
I scan the Botsford Plaza restaurant. Thirty party guests scattered amid six tables in the section we rented for the night. Heidi and Seth’s parents. Drew’s parents, along with his big sister and her husband. A few friends of Heidi’s from work and school, only a few of which I’ve met, but they seem like fun ladies. And, of course, our circle of friends, including Wilder, Ellie, and their boys.
“How are we looking?”
I turn and smile at Jordan, the band’s manager. “Just heard from our host. They’re two blocks away.”
“Excellent!” She jots something down on her clipboard. “We are ready when you are.”
I place a hand on my chest. “Thank you so much for fitting us into your schedule. It means so much.”
“Hey, any friend of Harvey’s is a friend of Criminal Records.”
I laugh giddily. Being friends with a rockstar definitely has its perks.
“Well, thank you again.”
I glance over her shoulder at the band as they set up on the stage Drew paid way too much money to book, but it’s worth it. I count four musicians scattered about, tweaking their instruments. There should be five. There should be drums.
“Where’s Bronson?” I ask.
Jordan spins around and counts them for herself. With a sigh, she reaches for the walkie-talkie attached to her belt. “Jonah,” she says into it.
I peek on stage as Jonah brings his own walkie-talkie to his lips.
“Yeah,”he says.
“Where’s Bronson?” Jordan asks.
He rubs his blue beanie. “Uh… I dunno.”
“Does anyone know where he is?”
She smiles politely at me. I smile back.
“Uh…”A long pause. “He was on the bus before.”
“Has anyone seen him since the bus?”
“Uh…”
Jordan lowers the walkie-talkie with a huff. “I will find him,” she assures me.
I chuckle as she hurries away to go look for their drummer.
“Goddamn.”
I hear Seth’s voice close behind me. I turn and there he is, looking very dapper in a suit and tie. His eyes lock on me — on my body, specifically.
“New dress?” he asks.
I glance at my red and black cocktail dress. “I might have splurged a bit with Drew’s credit card,” I admit. “He asked me to get party supplies, and I did.”
He smirks. “Naughty.”
“Hey, he should know better.” I step toward him, but I keep my distance. We’re not together here. “You look nice yourself.”
“Thank you.” He takes a sip from his champagne glass. “Are they close?”
“Any minute now.”
“She say yes?”
“Probably.”
“He didn’t say?”
“Nope. We just have to wait and see if they look happy. Either way, it’s still her birthday and the party must go on.”
Seth nods toward the table stacked with gifts. “Good point.”
He eyes me again, letting his gaze travel down to my cleavage.
“Stop,”I warn. “Someone will see you gawking.”
“Man stares at breasts. What a shock.”
I glare at him. He chuckles.
“Can I get you a drink?” he asks.
“No.”
“Come on, Jenna. What’s the harm in one host getting the other host a drink?”
I check the restaurant entrance. No sign of them yet. “My best friend is having a life-changing moment right now.”
“So is mine.”
“It’s different,” I say. “This is Heidi, Seth. She was always so scared that she’d never find a man who loves her — who really loves her. Tonight is huge.”
“I know.” He smiles. “That’s why I want you to look up every so often and enjoy it, too.”
“I will. I promise. After they get here, I’ll relax. After I know for sure...”
A dress catches my eye across the hotel lobby. Navy blue from top-to-bottom. Long sleeves made of lace. A wide V-neck with a midi skirt and a sheer hem. I helped her pick it out myself.
“They’re here,” I say with a quick wave at the tables. “They’re coming!”
Our guests look up. They all stand and prepare for the big surprise, just like I coached them on a half hour ago.
Drew and Heidi travel hand-in-hand toward the restaurant. I crane my neck to spot her left hand.
Finally, I see it. A ring.
A big ass fucking ring.
My best friend is getting married!
“She said yes,” Seth says beside me.
“She said yes,” I repeat.
I dig my heels into the carpet, resisting the urge to hug him right here and now.
As they enter the restaurant, I give the guests a wave and we say it together.
“Happy Birthday, Heidi!”
Heidi gasps as she scans the crowd. Her eyes well up. Probably not for the first time this evening. She falls into Drew’s arms and releases another gasp of surprise when she sees the stage.
Before anyone else can, I rush toward her. Best friend has first dibs on this moment, after all.
“Heidi!” I squeal. “Show me, show me, show me!”
Of course, she knows exactly what I’m referring to. Heidi thrusts her left hand forward to give me a good look at the ring.
I snatch her hand and yank her closer. A big diamond nestled between two bits of topaz. Even more perfect than its picture.
“Oh, it’s so much shinier in person!” I wink at Drew. “Good job, Mr. Rose.”
Drew bows as he notices Seth walking up behind me. The two share a handshake. “Thank you kindly, Ms. Abrams.”
“You knew about this?” Heidi asks me.
“Oh, please. You think Drew could pull off a party like this by himself? He’s great, but he ain’t that great,” I joke. “No offense,” I add for him.
“None taken,” he says.
“I’m surprised you kept this a secret,” she says. “I had no idea.”
I smirk. “Honey, I live for secrets.”
Especially lately.
Seth steps forward. “Congratulations, little sister.”
They wrap arms around each other in a fierce bear hug. He glances at me over her shoulder, and I smile. I suppose if you’d told me ten years ago how close they’d become, I’d have called you crazy. If you’d have told me at the same time that he and I would be... what we are, I’d have died from laughter alone.
Seth releases Heidi and shifts back a step to regard the two of them; his little sister and his best friend. “I’ll just say one thing...” He raises his glass to them. “I’m glad I was wrong about you guys. You two are perfect for each other. Always have been.”
His eyes stray to me. It’s for an unnoticeable second, but it’s powerful enough to send a wave of goosebumps down my spine.
Perfect for each other.
Drew smiles. “Thanks, man.” Then he glances around. “So, where is she?”
She?
“She?” Heidi asks.
“You brought her, right?” Drew asks.
No, he didn’t.
He should have already told you as much.
Seth nods. “Yes, I did.”
No, he didn’t.
He avoids my eyes.
Drew and Heidi glance around for a new face in the crowd, but they won’t find one. Because she’s not here.
Right, Seth?
She’s. Not. Here.
“Where is she?” Heidi asks.
Seth shifts a little closer to me.
Seth...
He wraps an arm around my back.
Don’t.
“Here she is,” he says.
Fuck.
My chest tightens. My lungs burn. I release my long-held breath. I look at Heidi as the curiosity on her face morphs into confusion.
“Surprise,” I say with a forced smile.
Heidi laughs. Drew does, too. Honestly, I can’t blame them at all.
“No, seriously,” she says. “Where is she?”
Seth clears his throat with his firm hand still flat against my back. “This is her,” he says. “It’s Jenna.”
And there it is.
Months of sneaking around. Of secret hook-ups and silent glances. Of lying to their faces. It’s all in their expressions now as they put together a puzzle that was right in front of them the whole time.
“Wait.” Drew furrows his brow. “What?”
“You...” Heidi points from Seth to me. “And you?”
“Yes,” Seth says, his voice hard. “Me and her.”
Heidi closes her wide-open mouth. She stares at me, her eyebrows slowly squishing closer and closer together. “You...” she says again, “and—”
“Me,”I say. No use fighting it now. “Him and me. Yes.”
“How did this happen?!” she asks.
I look at Seth. His golden eyes twinkle with a bit of that sinister defiantness I grew to adore, but it’s not nearly as cute in the moment. We agreed against this. He looked me in the eye and told me we wouldn’t do this, but he did it anyway.
I’m going to kill him.
I smile.
“It’s a long story,” I say.
And what a story it is.
It has everything. Romance. Sex. Murder.
Cold. Blooded. Murder.